An officer stepped between them and pushed Jace back by the chest. “Sir, we have a warrant and orders to remove these children from this premises. If you interfere, I’ll be forced to put you in cuffs. I hope you don’t make me do that.”
He gestured to the infant Faith was rocking where she stood appearing frazzled and shocked to the side of him.
Wanting to do something but utterly helpless.
I refused to be.
I hit the ground floor, my bare feet pounding on the worn wooden planks as I threw myself toward the double doors.
“Mommy!” Mallory screamed, one arm reaching out for me as her small body thrashed.
Sophie was already outside with another officer, her blue eyes wary as she sucked her thumb.
Confused and scared.
My pulse careened, hatred howling through my senses, the need to get to her—to them—more than I could bear.
“No, let them go. You can’t take them. I won’t let you.”
A gasp of pain shocked through me when I saw Thomas on the porch, too. Standing beside them with his face turned toward the ground as if he somehow thought this could be his fault.
“No,” I cried again. The same officer who’d pushed back Jace stepped in my way when I went for Mallory, my arms flying and hot tears streaking down my face as he pushed me back.
A barricade between me and the reason for my life.
“Ma’am, you need to stay right there.”
“No . . . these are my children. You can’t just come here and take them.”
Sympathy flashed through his expression, but still, he lifted his chin. “An emergency injunction was signed this morning by Judge Hirrod. These children are to be placed in the care of their father.”
Judge Hirrod.
Jonathan Hirrod.
One of Reed’s oldest friends.
Oh God.
Reed’s expression filled with cruel satisfaction. “Don’t stand there and act like I didn’t warn you, Grace.”
“You.” I started for him, hands balled into fists, only for Jace to reach out and snag me from around the waist. “Don’t do it, Grace. I know you want to fight, but you need to fight this in a different way.”
Pounding rattled the stairs behind us. I didn’t have to look to know that it was Ian.
That powerful presence surged from behind.
Anger and ire and barely contained rage.
He immediately was in attorney mode. “Under what order?”
“Parental abduction,” the officer replied.
“Bullshit,” Ian spat, reaching his hand out for the piece of paper. He snatched it out of his hand, his eyes roving over the document.
Hostility came off him in agitated waves, growing stronger as his attention darted over the words.
Mallory was still screaming, begging for me. My heart shattering and shaking.
How could I just stand there?
I had to do something.
Something.
Oh God, please, please help us.
In all his arrogance, Reed moved forward. “I went to pick my children up for their visit yesterday, and they were gone. Nowhere to be found. What else could I do?”
Ian was right.
Bullshit.
It oozed off Reed in nauseating pulses.
I wanted to puke.
Or fight.
Fighting seemed like a much better option. When he let my babies cry and wail and beg, and didn’t give what they were going through a thought.
Twisting out of Jace’s arm, I pushed around the officer and got in Reed’s face. “How could you do this? To your own children? This is ridiculous. We can . . . we can work out something.”
I was frantically scrambling to come up with a plan to waylay him. To assuage the situation.
I just . . . I just had to make him think he was getting his way.
“It’s too late for that, don’t you think, Grace? Considering the whole world knows my ex-wife is fucking her attorney?” He tsked. “Such an abuse of power, wouldn’t you think? Or is it you who was buying him off with the money you stole from me?”
Dizziness spun my heart, that nausea pushing at my throat.
This couldn’t be happening.
He had no proof. No proof.
I battled with my faltering spirit to regroup, to fight this man.
“You’re being absurd. I’m only here with him for safety. For the safety of my children. To protect them from you.”
His cold smirk only grew. “Huh, that’s not what the news is reporting right now.”
No.
No, no, no.
Dread dripped like ice into my veins.
Sickness clawed at my flesh.
The room spun, and my hand darted out to the doorframe to keep myself standing. “What did you do?”
“What I had to. You should do the same, Grace. Stop being a fool and get in my car with our children.”
Ian stepped in front of me. He pushed a hand behind him to keep me back, a physical shield. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
Reed cracked a vicious smile, twisted derangement when he looked at me. “It’s her funeral.” Menace streaked through his expression when he turned his attention back on Ian. “Actually, it’s yours.”
Rage flashed through Ian.